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Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!xios!greg
From: greg@xios.XIOS.UUCP (Greg Franks)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Re: /dev/null: The final frontier
Message-ID: <311@xios.XIOS.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-May-87 08:55:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: xios.311
Posted: Fri May 29 08:55:33 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jun-87 04:54:05 EDT
References: <7488@brl-adm.ARPA> <1705@umd5.umd.edu>
Reply-To: greg@sdn.UUCP (Greg Franks)
Organization: XIOS Systems Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 34

In article <1705@umd5.umd.edu> zben@umd5.umd.edu.UUCP (Ben Cranston) writes:
>It has been proposed that the bit-bucket hardware of most computers be
>enhanced to sort the zero-bits and one-bits into separate buckets.  If
>this be done, these buckets can be the source for new bits needed by the
>major bit-consuming instructions of the computer, namely the shifting
>instructions (note rotate instructions do not need a source of new bits).

Au contraire - Rotate instructions can be both a source and a sink of
bits.  The ROR and ROL instructions of the MC680*0 machines use the
carry flag as a sink and a source of excess bits.  (Note that these
micro processors also have a ROXL and ROXR instuctions for multi-word
(whatever) rotates).  

The excess bits (or needed bits) are converted to (or from) energy, just
like mass.  In fact, the laws of thermodynamics even apply! Quality
energy (electricity) is needed to create a bit.  However, you only get heat
back when you destroy a bit! Hence the need for both cooling and a power
supply. 

I believe the great computer scientists, Alfred Epstein, has come up
with some sort of relativity theorem to the effect that E = mc ** 2,
where E == energy, m == mips and c == the carry flag. 








-- 
Greg Franks     (613) 725-5411          "Vermont ain't flat"
{net-land}!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!xios!greg
(Other paths will undoubtably work too - your mileage will vary)